La Feria News 12-28-22

Annual City Parade in La Feria

Emilio Flores La Feria News

The City of La Feria held its annual Christmas parade this year on Saturday, December 17th.

The City shared they had a total of 25 contestants this

year, all competing for the best float!

This year’s theme was “The Magic of Christmas” with First place winner being C.E. Vail Elementary. Vail going with a Disney theme, having Cinderella,

mickey mouse, Minnie mouse, and more! Second place went to AEP Texas, which was a pretty cool float, having a guy climbing a telephone pole on the float. Coming in third place, was Noemi Dominguez Elementary,

with its Charlie Brown Christmas theme, which many enjoyed.

The prizes for first, second, and third-place winners were $500, $300, and $200. Unfortunately, they did not have an afterparade festival this year,

but even then, many had a great time. Seeing classic cars, ATVs, a trailer all decorated, and Santa riding on the Fire truck. Congratulation to all those that participated in this year’s parade.

Photo taken by the City of La Feria's Facebook page.

Photo taken by the City of La Feria's Facebook page

Photo taken from La Feria ISD's Facebook page

Photo taken from La Feria ISD's Facebook page

Photo taken from La Feria ISD's Facebook page

Written by Adam Russell

The future of space exploration depends on plants.

Rockets and other exploratory technology can take astronauts to the moon and beyond, but plants will sustain their trips over longer periods. As NASA explores the potential for longer space flights, continued stays on the International Space Station or even the future colonization of the moon or planets like Mars, their scientists know that plants are needed for survival.

From food and water purification to carbon dioxide removal and

oxygen production, plants are the foundation of humanity’s life on Earth and beyond.

However, exposure to extreme environmental factors related to space travel, including microgravity and space radiation, impacts biological systems like plants.

Researchers in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are striving to understand the largely unknown effects of these extreme conditions in space.

The impact of radiation on plant telomeres

Dorothy Shippen, Ph.D., University Distinguished Professor and Regents Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, is leading a study to determine how radiation exposure in space impacts plant telomeres, which are basic building blocks in the DNA at the very ends of chromosomes. Much like plastic tips on shoelaces prevent the lace from fraying, telomeres help keep chromosomes stable and healthy.

Telomeres are not static, Shippen said. They contract and expand due to environmental stressors, and if they get outside the normal size range, they lose their protective function. There is evidence in plants and humans that chromosomes become unstable when telomeres get too short, and various cancers in humans are associated with telomeres lengthening.

NASA is interested in learning how and why some of the extreme stressors in space, particularly space radiation like gamma and cosmic rays, impact plants. This is where the Shippen Lab at Texas A&M saw an opportunity to contribute.

“Plants are obviously very important for space travel, and so from a practical point of view we want to understand how we can help them survive the extreme conditions of space,” Shippen said. “There is so much we don’t know, but this telomere research will answer some of the basic questions we have related to plants and space radiation.”

The team and the study Shippen is known

internationally for her pioneering work in establishing the plant Arabidopsis thaliana as a model for telomere biology. She will act as principal investigator and team with collaborators Sarah Wyatt, Ph.D., at Ohio University and Susan Bailey, Ph.D., at Colorado State University.

Wyatt is an international leader in plant molecular biology who has been involved in several spaceflight experiments with Arabidopsis. Bailey is a renowned radiation biologist who first reported changes in telomere length dynamics associated with a long-duration mission by astronaut Scott Kelly during the NASA Twins Study.

Borja Barbero Barcenilla, a postdoctoral fellow in the Shippen Lab, will conduct experiments and collect data for the study.

The team’s specific goals are to assess the impact of space radiation on oxidation status, telomere length dynamics and genome stability in plants.

“There is interest in telomeres because they are linked to survivability, and it turns out the environment can influence

the size of telomeric DNA tract,” Shippen said. “The telomeres are like a reporter for the physiological health of organisms and a biomarker for their ability to be healthy. We are interested in understanding how plants respond to the stress of space radiation and then figure out how to protect them.”

Space radiation’s impact on plants

The research team hypothesizes that exposure to space radiation triggers genome oxidation and an increase in the activity of telomerase, a specialized enzyme responsible for maintaining telomeric DNA. The preliminary data suggests a strong connection between them.

The preliminary data of Shippen and Wyatt was gathered from Arabidopsis seedlings sent into low Earth orbit on a previous space flight. The team showed that the telomere lengths of the plants did not change, but that telomerase activity increased significantly – at least 150-fold. This unexpected finding

►Exploring The Impact Of Space Radiation On Plants

In accordance with the Order of the Office of the Governor issued March 16, 2020, the City of La Feria will conduct the meeting and provide audio/telephonic availability for the public using live stream in order to advance the public health goal of limiting face-to-face meetings (also called “social distancing”) to slow the spread of the Coronavirus (also known as Covid-19). To view the meeting via internet live streaming, please visit https://www.cityoflaferia.com/ boards-and-commissions/city-commission/agendas-2020/ where you will find the agenda for the next meeting. The pdf for the agenda will include a link, meeting ID and passcode for the Zoom meeting. More information is available by calling 346-248-7799.

Members of the public may sign up for public comment on an agenda item or for another item of public concern by submitting an email to amorales@cityoflaferia.com containing (1) the name of the individual wishing to comment; and (2) the item number or subject matter the individual wishes to comment on. Please submit requests for public comment no later than two hours before the meeting. Join the meeting at the time and login listed above and the Mayor will call on you when it is your turn to speak. A recording of the meeting will be made and will be available to the public in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act. If during the course of the meeting, any discussion of any item on the agenda is permitted to be held in executive or closed session, whether such item is already so identified on this Agenda or not, the City Commission will convene in such executive or closed session in accordance with Texas Government Code Section 551.001551.146.

Dorothy Shippen, Ph.D. and post-doctoral fellow Borja Barbero Barcenilla are leading a study

radiation affects plants. (Courtesy photo)

►Exploring The Impact Of Space Radiation On Plants CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

suggests the telomerase enzyme may play some protective role during space travel.

The NASA-funded research will allow Shippen’s team to send their own plants into space in the future and perform radiation experiments in laboratories that will mimic the environment plants might be exposed to in space.

Land plants may, in fact, be very well equipped to go to space because they are remarkably tolerant to a broad range of environmental stresses on Earth like drought, disease and pests, she said. The researchers are interested to see how space radiation impacts plants directly from seed to flower. In addition, the team will collect seeds and test the progeny to see how radiation affects plants across generations.

Chronic exposure to space radiation is expected to pepper the plant genome with mutations.

Our need to learn more Scientists have learned many things about how plants react to microgravity environments through experiments designed by the Wyatt lab for flights to the International Space Station.

But little is known about how plants react to space radiation, Barcenilla said. He expects Arabidopsis plants involved in the project will be aboard a flight to the International Space Station sometime in 2024.

“This is all very new, and we need to understand how this exposure to radiation

plays out,” Barcenilla said. “Right now, the level of radiation these samples were exposed to in our preliminary experiments in low Earth orbit aboard the International Space Station are much less than what they will suffer on the moon or Mars. The radiation exposure will exponentially increase on those missions, so we need to understand how plants will react to the much higher levels of radiation.”

An important first step Barcenilla said the study is an important step forward for space travel but could also help scientists better understand how plants react and adapt to stressors here on Earth.

Intentionally exposing plants to radiation has led to beneficial mutations for plant breeding purposes, with the goal of generating plant varieties better suited to contend with a variety of stressors, he said.

“In the end, we

are trying to develop better, smarter ways to help plants withstand stressors,” he said. “It just happens that we are studying stressors that are very, very harsh on plant DNA. So, the mutations that benefit us in space can also benefit us here on Earth.”

Shippen said it is exciting the project has classical agriculture and engineering components focused on revealing basic science for an innovative field like interstellar travel. But the research may also advance scientific understanding about how space travel can impact other biological systems, including humans, and offer insights into adaptations.

“I think we are in a really good position to deliver some interesting data,” she said. “We have the right collaborators, and we feel privileged that NASA sees the value in these experiments and trusts us with them.”

GRANT SERVICES PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

City of Combes plans to apply for the upcoming year 2023 Texas Department of Agriculture from the Texas Community Development Block Grant (TxCDBG) Program of the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). Accordingly, the City of Combes is seeking to contract with a qualified Engineering/Architectural/ Surveying Firm(s) (individual/firm) to prepare all preliminary and final design plans and specifications, and to conduct all necessary interim and final inspections. These services are being solicited to assist the City of Combes in its application preparation and project implementation of a TxCDBG contract, if awarded, to support eligible activities in City of Combes. Please submit your Seven (7) copies of your SOQ of services to the following address: Attn: Aida Gutierrez, City Administrator), 21626 Hand Road, P.O. Box 280, Combes, Texas 78535. SOQs must be received by the City of Combes no later than January 11, 2023 by 2:00 pm, which must be at least ten (10) days after this publication and contact dates of the RFQ. The City of Combes reserves the right to negotiate with any and all individuals or firms that submit SOQs, as per the Texas Professional Services Procurement Act and the Uniform Grant and Contract Management Standards. Section 3 Residents and Business Concerns, Minority Business Enterprises, Small Business Enterprises and Women Business Enterprises are encouraged to submit SOQs. The City of Combes is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Servicios de traducción están disponibles por peticion. Nê'u cần thông di.ch liên la.c chính phù thành phô'.

City of La Feria Planning & Zoning Commission Zone Change & SUP Request Notice of Public Hearing

On Thursday January 12, 2023 at 6:30 PM the Planning & Zoning Commission of the City of La Feria will hold a public hearing to consider the following Zone change and Specific Use permit for the following properties: Zone Change request: Benin Real Estate Investment for 2 lot property located at the South East Corner of Rabb Road & US Business Hwy 83 from C-2 General Commercial District to MF-Multi-family District with the legal description being: 2.15 acres of land out of Block 1, Rabb Heights 1.37 acres & PT Block 1 Rabb Heights & PT Block 1 & W 2’ S321.46’ Block 2, 0.7750 Acres, CAD # 182310 & 182311. Property Address is the 11700 Block of W. US Business Highway 83. Applicant & Owner is Benin Real Estate Investment.

SUP-Specific Use Permit-Request for a Late hour permit for 312 W. 1st Street, DBA The Joint Sports Bar, Property owner is Fernando Najar, Applicant is Oved Martinez Jr., the legal description is La Feria- Potter-Watson 11’ of Lot 4 & all of Lot 5-6 Block G, Cameron Appraisal District ID # 86606.

The public hearing will be held at 6:30 PM. in the City Commission Meeting Room, 115 E. Commercial Ave, La Feria, Texas. All interested persons are encouraged to attend the public hearing to voice their opinion regarding the granting of these Zone change requests. Interested persons may also submit written testimony to:

City of La Feria Attn: Planning Department 115 E. Commercial Ave. La Feria, TX 78559-5002

The City Commission meeting room is handicapped accessible. Persons with disabilities or who require auxiliary aids or services to participate in this hearing should contact the City Secretary two days before the hearing so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

To request additional information, please contact Juan Ortiz, Planning Director at (956) 797-2261.

Santa

church 408 Main Street (Hwy. 107/506)

First Baptist Church, La Feria

I am glad Brittney Griner was home for Christmas. The professional basketball player was released this month after serving 10 months in Russian custody for drug charges. Her release was won by a prisoner exchange involving convicted arms dealer, Victor Bout.

Apostolic

Iglesia

church of christ Minister Gene Head 536-9832 912 N. Parker Rd., La Feria, Wednesday 6:30 pm Bible Study, Sunday 9:30am Bible Study, 10:30am Service, 5pm Evening Service Los Domingos: 12:00 Medio Dia Los Jueves: 7:00 pm Estudio De Biblia

Faith church of christian & missionary Alliance church

Pastor Oscar Loredo 797-1739

125 W. First St., La Feria,Tx

I am not so glad that Victor Bout was home for Christmas. The arms dealer had been convicted in 2012 after he was caught trying to sell weapons to DEA agents in a sting operation. Bout’s reputation was so bad he was nicknamed “The merchant of death.” The 2005 movie, “Lord of War,” was based on his life.

It is difficult to think of Brittney Griner as a victim. Yes, Russia exploited her relatively small violation of the law. But Grinner reportedly earned 1 million dollars a year playing in Russia’s winter league. Bout is definitely not a victim. Instead, there are many victims in the wake of his arm sales. His release puts countless others at risk.

There was no prisoner swap in Acts 16 when Paul and Silas were released from prison. In fact, when the jail door fell off the hinges, neither left. They stayed in jail to protect the jailer from being blamed for a prison break. Because of Paul and Silas’s compassion, the jailer and his family became Christians.

No one has any illusions about what Victor Bout will do now that he is a free man. It is yet to be seen what good Brittney Griner will do with her hard-won freedom. Hopefully, more than shoot baskets and smoke dope. It is a little like the line from Saving Private Ryan. “Don’t waste this.”

-Mark S. Ross DMin.

BEEN MADE WITH

TEXAS ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE COMMISSION FOR A BREWER'S LICENSE (BW) PERMIT BY PLUTON BREWING CO. INC., DBA: PLUTON BREWERY COMPANY INC. LOCATED AT 805 E ELIZABETH ST, CAMERON COUNTY, BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS 78520. OFFICERS OF SAID CORPORATION BEING: DANIEL ARIZPEPRESIDENT RICARDO ENRIQUE PRESASSECRETARY

Bob’s Baseball Tours – DC Cherry Blossom Tour: Mar. 31-Apr. 4, 2023, home games at Washington Nationals, NY Yankees & Boston Red Sox. East Coast Tour: Aug. 18-27, 2023, home games at Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Phillies, Nationals, Mets & Little League World Series. Tours include sightseeing, motor coach transportation and hotels/game tickets. Call or Text 507-217-1326.

Sylvia

Lionettes ready for district

By Ruben Rodriguez La Feria News

The La Feria Lionettes are ready to go for District 32-4A Play. Already 1-0 in 32-4A play, the Lionettes are looking to continue that momentum.

After the 61-25 win over Zapata, The Lionettes will also go against Grulla,

Port Isabel, Raymondville, Hidalgo and Harmony School of Innovation.

The second half of District play will begin on Last season, the Lionettes had a good run throughout District Play. A shorter District season this season means the Lionettes have a tougher task at hand in getting

La Feria goes 2-2 in C.E. Vail Tournament Action A Hard fought matchup

into the postseason. With last season, the Lionettes finished 5-2 in 32-4A, working all the way to the Area Round before losing to Devine. La Feria this season has shown they have the puzzle pieces to make another playoff run.

By Ruben Rodriguez La Feria News

The La Feria Lions opened up the 2022-23 Soccer Season as they took on former district foe Rio Hondo. Over the years the Lions and Bobcats have had some battles on the field and on the court, so a lot was expected from this matchup.

La Feria and Rio Hondo are two teams who are known to have firepower on

offense and defense. That was once again proven as the offense for both teams was on, the Lions and Bobcats scored a combined total of 7 goals to make it a back and forth battle. At close times, defense also played a factor as neither side allowed a goal. Thanks to key offense by the Lions, La Feria was able to tack in three goals. Despite a solid defense however, Rio Hondo netted in four goals to win 5-4.

Some upcoming opponents in non-district play to lookout for are Smithson Valley, and Santa Maria. La Feria’s key district rivals are Port Isabel, Harmony School of Innovation, IDEA Frontier and Riverview are also teams that are able to get in the mix.

Last season, the Lions finished off with a district record of 1-9. This season, The Lions look to turn it around.